


When Hearts Warm

by Silver_Sylph



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki's POV, M/M, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:40:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26125900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Sylph/pseuds/Silver_Sylph
Summary: Thank you to NamelesslyNightlock for inspiring this fic, and encouraging me to write inspired by their work "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 118





	When Hearts Warm

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cold Hands, Warm Hearts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26027356) by [NamelesslyNightlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock). 



> Thank you to NamelesslyNightlock for inspiring this fic, and encouraging me to write inspired by their work "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."

Time lost meaning somewhere around the three-hundred year mark, he thought. All Loki could do was wait. Wait with his hand extended, hoping his soulmate would find him one day. That or hope his father would relent and release him.

Ever since Loki learned about soulmates as a child, he was captivated. Someone who would compliment him, be his companion as he was their's – and all revealed through a burst of magic at their first touch. Loki was entranced. He would sit for hours with his mother while she wove, asking for stories of famous soulmates.

As a child, Odin largely ignored Loki's interest in soulmates, much as he ignored Loki's other interests, including magic. For Loki, magic and his soulmate were linked through that magical first touch, and he wanted to know more. And when it turned out he was naturally gifted, Loki pursued magical knowledge and instruction, first from his mother, and then from other practitioners across the realms as he grew older.

While Loki's skill as a mage grew, so did Odin's contempt. He dismissed his second son's abilities as frivolous and effeminate, praising the strength and battle prowess of his eldest. The courtiers of Asgard followed Odin's example, mocking Loki in whispers that grew increasingly bold.

Loki retreated as much as he could, but his brother and his duties as a prince meant he could not run away to another realm entirely. When Thor dragged him along on pubs and adventures, no one was interested in talking about magic, or really engaging Loki in conversation he found interesting. Everything always seemed to circle back to Thor. And when Odin found out Loki sought comfort in spending time with Frigga and her ladies, he forbid Loki from extended visits to his mother's wing of the palace, and forced him to train in hand-to-hand combat.

Loki's growing emotional isolation led him to sit sullenly in corners, silently planning his next library trip or visit to another realm. But this caused Loki issues too, as his lack of interest in excessive drinking and partying led people to assume he was unkind, and general dislike for the second prince grew.

As his reputation skewed farther and farther from how Loki understood himself, he increasingly clung to the hope of finding his soulmate. The people around him may be contemptuous, but his soulmate was out there. The one person who would compliment him, would understand him.

And then he found it. A spell that an ancient tome claimed would help him locate his soulmate by providing a vague area where the magic would seal the bond.

Loki spread out a map of the nine realms, performed the incantation, and to his delight, the map lit up Midgard – he would meet his soulmate on Midgard! Loki raced to his mother's courtyard, beaming with excitement.

"Mother! Mother! My soulmate and I will meet on Midgard! I can travel there and find them!" And then Loki rounded the corner.

He stopped dead in his tracks. Odin was standing by Frigga's loom, his eye staring straight at Loki, a look of contempt etched across his face.

"You will not be going. You are a prince of Asgard, you have duties. And what is more, no prince of Asgard has a mortal for a soulmate."

At his father's words, Loki's face crumbled.

"Yes, father." And as Odin turned to leave Loki muttered, "It's not like I have any choice who my soulmate is anyway."

Odin heard him. He wiped around to face Loki, a thunderous expression on his face. "Well, if you are so obsessed with finding your soulmate then, so be it. You can stand on Midgard forever waiting for your soulmate for all I care!"

Loki felt magic begin to creep across his skin, and looking down at himself gasped in horror as his armor and clothing changed color and hardened. Already he could feel his joints stiffening. He looked to his mother, extending his hand. 

"Mother! Please! Help me!" And as Loki went to step towards her, he realized he could not. He was stuck. And his arm didn't want to move. He tried to turn his head to look back at his father, but couldn't. Bronze crept across his vision as the sounds around him faded to nothing.

Frigga could not convince Odin to release Loki from the spell. Her youngest son stood just as had when he had pleaded for her help, except he appeared to be make of bronze. All Odin would say was that since Loki was so set on finding his soulmate, he was really doing him a favor, sending him to Midgard until his soulmate finds him. Any idiot who wandered around touching statues would be just the sort of soulmate Loki deserved.

When guards placed Loki on Midgard, Frigga whispered her goodbyes. But before she left, she disguised herself as an old woman and told all who came near about the unfortunate mage trapped in bronze who could only be released by the touch of his soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbetaed, so please feel free to let me know if you spot any errors, they are entirely my own and I will endeavor to fix them. :)
> 
> Also, if you like this so far, let me know and I will be more motivated to keep working on it! I have a lot of things I am trying to do, and knowing people are interested will help me prioritize taking time for this fic.


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